Revised Minoan eruption volume as benchmark for large volcanic eruptions

Jens Karstens; Jonas Preine; Gareth J. Crutchley; Steffen Kutterolf; Willem G.M. van der Bilt; Emilie E.E. Hooft; Timothy H. Druitt; Florian Schmid; Jan Magne Cederstrøm; Christian Hübscher; Paraskevi Nomikou; Steven Carey; Michel Kühn; Judith Elger; Christian Berndt

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38176-3

Revised Minoan eruption volume as benchmark for large volcanic eruptions

Jens Karstens^*
, Jonas Preine
, Gareth J. Crutchley
, Steffen Kutterolf
, Willem G.M. van der Bilt
, Emilie E.E. Hooft
, Timothy H. Druitt
, Florian Schmid
, Jan Magne Cederstrøm
, Christian Hübscher
, Paraskevi Nomikou
, Steven Carey
, Michel Kühn
, Judith Elger
, Christian Berndt

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Geoscience

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Despite their global societal importance, the volumes of large-scale volcanic eruptions remain poorly constrained. Here, we integrate seismic reflection and P-wave tomography datasets with computed tomography-derived sedimentological analyses to estimate the volume of the iconic Minoan eruption. Our results reveal a total dense-rock equivalent eruption volume of 34.5 ± 6.8 km³, which encompasses 21.4 ± 3.6 km³ of tephra fall deposits, 6.9 ± 2 km³ of ignimbrites, and 6.1 ± 1.2 km³ of intra-caldera deposits. 2.8 ± 1.5 km³ of the total material consists of lithics. These volume estimates are in agreement with an independent caldera collapse reconstruction (33.1 ± 1.2 km³). Our results show that the Plinian phase contributed most to the distal tephra fall, and that the pyroclastic flow volume is significantly smaller than previously assumed. This benchmark reconstruction demonstrates that complementary geophysical and sedimentological datasets are required for reliable eruption volume estimates, which are necessary for regional and global volcanic hazard assessments.

Original language	English
Article number	2497
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	14
Issue	1
ISSN	2041-1723
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38176-3
Publication status	Published - Dec 2023

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Karstens, J., Preine, J., Crutchley, G. J., Kutterolf, S., van der Bilt, W. G. M., Hooft, E. E. E., Druitt, T. H., Schmid, F., Cederstrøm, J. M., Hübscher, C., Nomikou, P., Carey, S., Kühn, M., Elger, J., & Berndt, C. (2023). Revised Minoan eruption volume as benchmark for large volcanic eruptions. Nature Communications, 14(1), Article 2497. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38176-3

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title = "Revised Minoan eruption volume as benchmark for large volcanic eruptions",

abstract = "Despite their global societal importance, the volumes of large-scale volcanic eruptions remain poorly constrained. Here, we integrate seismic reflection and P-wave tomography datasets with computed tomography-derived sedimentological analyses to estimate the volume of the iconic Minoan eruption. Our results reveal a total dense-rock equivalent eruption volume of 34.5 ± 6.8 km³, which encompasses 21.4 ± 3.6 km³ of tephra fall deposits, 6.9 ± 2 km³ of ignimbrites, and 6.1 ± 1.2 km³ of intra-caldera deposits. 2.8 ± 1.5 km³ of the total material consists of lithics. These volume estimates are in agreement with an independent caldera collapse reconstruction (33.1 ± 1.2 km³). Our results show that the Plinian phase contributed most to the distal tephra fall, and that the pyroclastic flow volume is significantly smaller than previously assumed. This benchmark reconstruction demonstrates that complementary geophysical and sedimentological datasets are required for reliable eruption volume estimates, which are necessary for regional and global volcanic hazard assessments.",

author = "Jens Karstens and Jonas Preine and Crutchley, \{Gareth J.\} and Steffen Kutterolf and \{van der Bilt\}, \{Willem G.M.\} and Hooft, \{Emilie E.E.\} and Druitt, \{Timothy H.\} and Florian Schmid and Cederstr{\o}m, \{Jan Magne\} and Christian H{\"u}bscher and Paraskevi Nomikou and Steven Carey and Michel K{\"u}hn and Judith Elger and Christian Berndt",

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year = "2023",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-023-38176-3",

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T1 - Revised Minoan eruption volume as benchmark for large volcanic eruptions

AU - Karstens, Jens

AU - Preine, Jonas

AU - Crutchley, Gareth J.

AU - Kutterolf, Steffen

AU - van der Bilt, Willem G.M.

AU - Hooft, Emilie E.E.

AU - Druitt, Timothy H.

AU - Schmid, Florian

AU - Cederstrøm, Jan Magne

AU - Hübscher, Christian

AU - Nomikou, Paraskevi

AU - Carey, Steven

AU - Kühn, Michel

AU - Elger, Judith

AU - Berndt, Christian

PY - 2023/12

Y1 - 2023/12

N2 - Despite their global societal importance, the volumes of large-scale volcanic eruptions remain poorly constrained. Here, we integrate seismic reflection and P-wave tomography datasets with computed tomography-derived sedimentological analyses to estimate the volume of the iconic Minoan eruption. Our results reveal a total dense-rock equivalent eruption volume of 34.5 ± 6.8 km³, which encompasses 21.4 ± 3.6 km³ of tephra fall deposits, 6.9 ± 2 km³ of ignimbrites, and 6.1 ± 1.2 km³ of intra-caldera deposits. 2.8 ± 1.5 km³ of the total material consists of lithics. These volume estimates are in agreement with an independent caldera collapse reconstruction (33.1 ± 1.2 km³). Our results show that the Plinian phase contributed most to the distal tephra fall, and that the pyroclastic flow volume is significantly smaller than previously assumed. This benchmark reconstruction demonstrates that complementary geophysical and sedimentological datasets are required for reliable eruption volume estimates, which are necessary for regional and global volcanic hazard assessments.

AB - Despite their global societal importance, the volumes of large-scale volcanic eruptions remain poorly constrained. Here, we integrate seismic reflection and P-wave tomography datasets with computed tomography-derived sedimentological analyses to estimate the volume of the iconic Minoan eruption. Our results reveal a total dense-rock equivalent eruption volume of 34.5 ± 6.8 km³, which encompasses 21.4 ± 3.6 km³ of tephra fall deposits, 6.9 ± 2 km³ of ignimbrites, and 6.1 ± 1.2 km³ of intra-caldera deposits. 2.8 ± 1.5 km³ of the total material consists of lithics. These volume estimates are in agreement with an independent caldera collapse reconstruction (33.1 ± 1.2 km³). Our results show that the Plinian phase contributed most to the distal tephra fall, and that the pyroclastic flow volume is significantly smaller than previously assumed. This benchmark reconstruction demonstrates that complementary geophysical and sedimentological datasets are required for reliable eruption volume estimates, which are necessary for regional and global volcanic hazard assessments.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85156164254

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DO - 10.1038/s41467-023-38176-3

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C2 - 37120623

AN - SCOPUS:85156164254

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 14

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 2497

ER -

Revised Minoan eruption volume as benchmark for large volcanic eruptions

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